20110409

saturday skirt and wild leek treat

I've been fiddling around with my sewing machine for a while, doing mending and a few ill-fated projects. Today, however, I completed my first real project--a skirt--start to finish in one day. It wasn't much, made with cheap natural-colored muslin, but it felt good to finish something. I made a pattern based on a purchased skirt in my closet, but had to adjust it along the way since I ended up using less of the seam allowance than anticipated; it went from a 12 panel skirt to a 10 panel one. I also doubled up the fabric on every panel because muslin is so incredibly thin; even with the two layers, I'll still need to wear a slip. There's a lot I need learn and work on when it comes to sewing, but the skirt will be fun for around-the-house work and such.

After that project was done, N and I went for a long walk in the woods. Along the way, I discovered the secret hiding places for wild leeks! I'm determined to learn what and where to forage out here since I thoroughly enjoyed what little foraging I did in the Berkeley area. I'm trying to start with very distinctive plants: I've been keeping my eyes out for fiddleheads and morel mushrooms too, but with no luck at all. I have no idea if they even grow in our woods since the granularity of range with online resources is pretty large.

The wild leeks were pretty young and N was impatient since we had been out a while, so I didn't bother to dig them up; instead, I plucked off the tops of a handful. There were lots and lots of them, so I plan on going back when they're a little more mature. When I came home, I chopped them up and put them in a béchamel sauce with some cheese for a tiny tasty treat!